Tuesday June 30th, 2015: Jesus Loves The Orphans

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Psalm 82:3

I had the honor of serving as a counselor at a kids camp last week. This camp is much different than most kids camps; this is a camp for abused and neglected foster kids. Each year my church takes a group of kids on a Royal Family Kids Camp. The week is filled with NON-STOP fun (literally.) We do everything between swimming to a huge birthday celebration, including a party AND presents! I went last year on staff but this year I went as a counselor and it was awesome. While I can’t share my kid’s names, I can share a few things I learned from these sweet girls.

My co-counselor, Emily, and I were blessed with like the two best campers! They were so easy going and wanted to just have fun. One of our campers in particular, who I will call A, forever changed my life.

As soon as A stepped off the bus, I knew this week was going to be special. When we were getting ready for bed on Monday night, I was trying to start conversation and for some reason I asked A if she had ever been to Church. I learned that she had never been to church or even introduced to God! She had no idea that God was more than just a name, but someone who works in her life. This shocked me to my core. In my ignorance I guess I thought that everyone knew about God… Like wake up, Hannah!

So as soon as I learned that I knew I had my work cut out for me. It was time to take care of some kingdom business! So that night, her questions began. She asked me everything between the difference between Jews and Christians to why would God sacrifice His son for her.

Each year we have a talent show and we encourage all the campers to participate. When we told our campers, they decided they wanted to sing a song together. They decided to sing the song “See You Again.” Emily and I were like perfect, that’s easy! Then A said she wanted to do a skit with it… Emily and I were a little concerned about what that would entail… So Tuesday afternoon as we were walking to the pool and A, out of the blue, said “I think that for our skit we can say something like, ‘Just like the song says, friends come and go, but God never leaves us. He’s the father to the fatherless and friend to the friendless. I think we should quote some Bible verses too.” I couldn’t even find words. It had been less than 24 hours, and she got it!

She was so eager to learn more about God. She was so hungry for His Word. Every time we were in our room she was reading my Bible. She even made a journal filled with her favorite Bible Verses. We had countless conversions over the week that filled my heart with so much joy. This sweet 12-year-old girl had been through so much in her life, yet she was able to understand that God was always with her, protecting her.

They killed the talent show! They sang, preached the word, and even had an altar call (okay kidding about the last one!) But our girls spent the week submerged in God’s love for them.

The last night A and I were praying and she prayed these words that will forever mark my heart, “Thank you God for allowing me to come to this camp because now I believe you are real and you love me.” That’s what that week was about. Sharing the love of Jesus with these exploited children.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

I am so grateful that God allowed me to play a short part of A’s life. I am so grateful that through, Royal Family Kids Camp I was reminded that these kids exist (because for some reason no one wants to talk about orphans!) but more importantly remember my calling. When I was 12, just like sweet A, my dad passed away. I could’ve been put into foster care if I didn’t have my mom. I could’ve been in the same place those kids were in. I truly believe God used the loss my Dad, to call me to fight for the kids who have lost theirs.

It is SO easy to forget how big this world is. There are people in our towns that have no idea who God is. It’s easy to think that places like Africa are unreached, but are there really unreached people in Dallas, Texas? YES. It only takes one conversation to change someone’s eternity. Thank you Jesus that you gave me 5 days with my two campers to do that! God is so good.

Also, here’s some statistics about Foster Kids to ruin your day. Just heartbreaking!

*Statistics found on the Royal Family Kids website.

In Christ,

Hannah

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20 NIV

If you have any questions or prayer requests (or both) you can email me at thatotherhannahblog@gmail.com.

Also, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @thatotherhannah and Snapchat @hannahhmooree 🙂

Monday February 2nd, 2015: I’m Back!

Devotions

Hello! I am so glad to be back after a little hiatus. 🙂 I don’t know about you but my soul needs a break from social media every once in a while. It’s so easy to get caught up in the world of social media… But anyways! It’s about to get real so hold your britches’ (as we like to say in Texas.) 😉

This year has been off to a pretty rocky start. Actually it’s sucked (stay with me, there’s a good ending!) January 2^nd my grandma fell and broke her femur. The hardest bone to break in the body, fyi. So to fix that, they inserted a plate and screws to repair the break. Two weeks later she went in for a check up and they discovered her body literally rejected the plate and 8 screws, which the surgeon had never seen. Then they find out, her leg is infected, with Staph nonetheless… So we had two options. Take out her knee, part of her femur, and part of her tibia, then place this cement ‘spacer’ in until her infection clears up OR amputation. So on January 23^rd she went in for the removal of her knee, part of her femur and tibia. In surgery they found out the infection was worse than first thought. So the next step is clearing up the infection then we can move on to a total joint replacement. But if her infection doesn’t clear up our only option is amputation.

It’s almost laughable. I mean she came in with a broken femur and now we’re talking about possible amputation?? How did it get this far? How did we get here? This wasn’t our plan.

I was listening to the City Church Podcast (one of my favorites) the other day and Pastor Judah was preaching a message called The Problem With Hope. The message is essentially saying without Jesus there is no hope. Without Jesus I have to reason to be positive. Without Jesus life sucks.

The point is that without Jesus as my rock I wouldn’t be able to make it through all this. Without Jesus in the waiting rooms with me I would be a mess. Without Jesus to put my trust in, I’ll be stressed out of mind worrying about what could happen. Unbelievers can try to be all positive or optimistic but let’s be honest; apart from Jesus there is no hope for a better tomorrow. Whenever I meet an unbeliever I wonder how they make it through the day. Seriously. Hebrews 6:16-20 says this,

“People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Because of God’s nature, He cannot lie. It’s impossible for Him. And because He can’t lie we know that when He sent Jesus, the hope of the world, He wouldn’t leave us without hope! Jesus is the anchor for our soul that is firm and secure.

I share this because even if you don’t believe in Jesus, you may be a “positive person,” but that isn’t enough. You NEED an anchor for your soul. You can be a “good person” but you NEED an anchor for your soul. You NEED a firm and secure HOPE. Being positive is a bi-product of a relationship with Jesus.

As I sat in the waiting room while my grandma was in surgery I started to think about this. I would be a mess without hope in Jesus. He calms my storm (Psalm 107:29.) He brings peace that surpasses ALL understanding (Philippians 4:7.) What are God!

If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus and have any questions email me at thatotherhannahblog@gmail.com. Also if you have any prayer requests email me at thatotherhannahblog@gmail.com. Happy Monday!

Always,

Hannah

More verses about hope:

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

“Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.” Psalm 3:2-6 NIV

“Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.” Romans 5:2-7 NIV

Thursday December 18th, 2014: Love Simply Does

Devotions

Happy Thursday! I’ve been extremely busy (which isn’t an excuse) and I feel so bad that I haven’t been posting as often… I read an article about how we get so focused on posting on social media more than just enjoying the moment. So since then I’ve been trying to simply enjoy the moments. But today I wanted to share something that’s really been heavy on my heart. I shared a book, a few months back, called Love Does by Bob Goff and honestly I can’t stop thinking about that book! I’m telling you it was one of the simplest books I’ve ever read but so inspiring! The whole book is based on this statement,

“In the end, love doesn’t just keep thinking about it or planning for it. Simply put: Love Does!”

Love just does. Love is an action. Love has feet, and arms, and ears, and hands, and hugs, and words. And here’s the crazy thing about it, you’re supposed to share it! You’re supposed to display it to others. You’re supposed to hug someone when they’re down. You’re supposed to lend an ear when someone needs to be listened to. You’re supposed to offer a hand to someone who needs it. You’re supposed to encourage someone when they’re down.

“Jesus replied:” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ‘This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39

You see we all have a choice to make each and every day… Are we going to embrace love full speed by spreading it to every person we meet or let other people dictate our love? Here’s what God has to say about this:

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35

Ouch.

This time of year is so bittersweet. It’s like it either brings out the worst or the best in people. I work part-time at a mortgage company. One of the things I do there is call past clients to check in with them. So I called this man a few weeks back and honestly it took everything in me not to start crying. I mean this man was just plain mean! I was so sweet and just took the insults he threw at me. Then at the end of the conversation he says, “Now I want you to have a very merry Christmas.” Say what? After you were so rude to me you want to wish me a merry Christmas?! I had a choice to make… Was I going to be kind and loving to him or tell him off after he had insulted me for five minutes? I simply said, “No you have a merry Christmas.”

So how are you actions pointing those or Christ, or not pointing them to Christ? Today, make love an action! Love simply DOES. 🙂

In Christ,

Hannah